Adjustable figure wheel



27. Jan 19 w. G. ORTH ADJUSTABLE FIGURE WHEEL Filed May 18, 1926 awuentow W/LL/AM G. ORTH W quz M Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlce.

WILLIAM G. 03TH, OF DAYTON; OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO OHMER FARE REGISTER COM- PANY,OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ADJUSTABLE FIGURE WHEEL.

Application filed May 18, 1926. Serial No. 109,874.

This invention relates to the construction of a figure wheel and associated mechanism whereby the figure wheel may be readily adjusted relatively to the shaft on which it is mounted. This invention is an improvement on the structure shown in my copending application 626,235, for figure wheels, filed March .19, 1923.

It is frequently desirable on account of changes in municipal regulations in regard to taximeters, or changes in the business I policy of a company operating taximeters,

to alter the initial fare. It is customary 1n taximeters to provide the figure wheel of lowest denomination so that when the flag is thrown to vacant position the figure wheel of lowest denomination will be reset to the initial fare such as for 30. If the initial fare is changed from 20 to 30 it is obviously necessary to reset this figure wheel relatively to the shaft on which it is mounted, so that when the flag is thrown to vacant position the figure wheel will not be reset to zero, but to 30. or whatever the initial charge may be.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple means whereby such adjustment may be made without the necessity of tearing down the taxirneter.

v More specifically the invention relates to an improvement on the type of figure wheel described in my copending application, and to provide positive means for locking the holding pawl in positions e The invention is not limited to the figure wheel of lowest denomination of the fare counter, but obviously could be applied to the extras counter of a taximcter, and may be broadly applied to any wheel which may from time to time be adjusted relatively to its shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide a character wheel in which the character-bearing parts are adjustable with respect to the resetting'means to as many positions as there are characters on the wheel. a j

Further objects of the invention will appear in the detailed specification following.

l igurc 1 is an end ele 'ational view of one of the figure'wheels. I a

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4. is a detailed view of the sliding cam member.

The wheel illustrated is driven by means of a gear 20 which is fixed by rivets 21 to a hub disk 22. A shoulder 23 on a disk 22 supports the web 24 of a drum 25 hearing digits upon its periphery; The adjustment of web 25 with respect to hub 22 is ellected by means of a pawl 26 pivotally. mounted on the web 2% and pressed by a sliding cam 27 into engagement with one of a series of notches 28 in the circumference of the disk 22, I

The sliding'eam 27 consists of an arcuate shaped piece of sheet metal having its outer periphery of such a configuration as to snug- 1y fit the inner periphery of the drum 25, and having its inner" periphery of such a configu ation as to conform to the outer periphery of the hub 22, it being slightly less in width than the distance between the outer periphery of the hub 22 and the inner periphery of the disk 25 so that no binding action will occur. The end of the sliding cam 27 adjacent the pawl 26 is provided with a cam surface 29. a holding surface 30 and a stop shoulder 31. The other end of the sliding cam 27 is provided with an upstanding lug 32 provided with a hole 33 therein. The lug 32 is adapted to receive one end of a coil tension spring 34, the spring passing through the hole 33. The web 24 carries a stud 35 which passes through a slot. 36 in the sliding cam 27, which stud has affixed thereto the end of the spring 34.- remote from the lug 32.

This wheel is designed to be reset by the engagement of the pawl 37 with the notch in the resettin shaft 38, the pawl 37 being pivotally mounted on the hub 22 and pulled toward the resetting shaft 38 by means of a tension spring 39.

In operation, when it is desired to rotate the drum 25 relatively to the hub 22, an instrumcntsuch as a screw-driver is pressed against the lug 32 moving the sliding cam 27 away from the pawl 26. The pawl 26 can now be raised-by any suitable instrument such as a screw-driver, and after it is raised-so as'to disengage it from the notch 28, the gear 20 can be rotated manually-so as to bring any one of the other notches 28 beneath the pawl 26. The screw-driver or other holding instrument is then disengaged from the lug 32 and the cam surface 29 moves the pawl 26 into engagement with the notch 28 positioned immediately beneath the same. The holding surface 30 now holds the pawl 26 in its adjusted position, and the stop shoulder 31 holds the sliding cam against further movement.

This invention is particularly adapted for such taximeters as are fully illustrated and described in the patent to Ohmer et al, 1.136,1G4;, dated April 20, 1925. The invention is not to be considered as limited to such a taximcter, however, as it may be used in almost any tatimeter, as well as elsewhere. I do not desire to limit my invention to the specific embodiment shown in the drawings and described in detail, but I desire to claim my invention broadly, reserving to myself the right to make all desired changes which may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

1. a wheel construction, a drum, a notched hub on which said drum is mounted, a holding means operatively connecting said drum and hub to prevent, relative rotation thereof, and cam means to hold said holding means in position.

2. In a wheel construction, a drum, a notched hub on which said drum is mounted. a pawl operatively connecting said drum and hub to prevent relative rotation thereof, and slidable can]. means to press said. pawl into engagement with said hub.

3. In a wheel construction, a drum, a notched hub on which said drum is mounted, a holdin means operatively connecting said 'said drum and hub together, and cam means tending to force said holding means toward said hub.

5. In a wheel construction, a drum, a hub provided with notches, on which hub said drum is mounted, a pawl carried by said drum and adapted to engage any one of the notches in said hub, and a cam positioned between said drum and hub and adapted to normally hold said pawl in one of said notches.

6. In a wheel construction, a notched hub, a drum mounted on said hub, a pawl carried by said drum and normally engaging one of the notches in said hub, and a slidable cam ox-erhanging said pawl and adapted to force the pawl into engagement with said hub.

7. In a wheel construction, a drum, a pawl and a stud mounted on said drum, a hub provided with notches, said pawl being adapted to engage any one of said notches, a sliding cam member provided with a lug, and a spring interposed between said lug and stud, tending to move said slidable member so as to canr said with said hub.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM G. ORTH.

pawl into engagement 

